In this clip, Scott Walker is discussing the new bill that is arising and his upcoming actions. He tells the public that the National Guard is prepared to come in if the situation arises. He says you have to plan for the worst, but expect the best. This was a controversial interview, as many people were upset that he would do something that he apparently knew would cause problems.
In my eyes, he was just preparing for the possibility, and maybe using this as a warning so no one would riot or cause havoc. I think him using this interview is a type of pre-sequence. In language, a pre-sequence is an opening sequence to prompt an upcoming sequence or event. I think this is a type of verbal foreshadowing. He is using this type of language as a warning, and he decided to say it before the bill was announced to cover for any upcoming actions.
It is necessary to discover the frame of this interview. The frame is the structure of the interaction to make sense of things. The frame of this particular interview would be the new bill and the implications that it has on fellow Wisconsinites. If you didn’t know the frame, you wouldn’t understand why the National Guard would even need to be considered. You need to understand where the conversation has been to understand where it’s going.
When I watched this interview, I thought about the pre-sequence and the frame in the language that Scott Walker used. I was glad he used the pre-sequence in his language to warn people of what’s to come, so they can better understand why he is doing what he’s doing. But I have to ask, is this a necessary part of language? Why do we feel the need to set up a situation before the situation actually arises? Are we to afraid to let something just…happen?
